For the last three years a ban on squatting has been in preparation in Dutch politics. A new act that is to ban squatting in the Netherlands passed through parliament on October 15th, 2009. Despite strong critique from the High Court, the union of city councils and even the Amsterdam police force, the christian/rightwing majority in The Hague is pushing this law through.

Having suffered from an immense housing shortage ever since the sixties, squatting has a long history in the Netherlands and has always been a legal means for thousands of people to acquire a roof over their heads.

Dmae Roberts talks with Trisha Mead, director of Fertile Ground, a 10-day festival of new performing arts works in Portland. During January 22 through February 2nd. Fertile Ground features more than a dozen world premieres with well over 50 artists. Also featured on Stage and Studio are Portland Story Theatre's "Mawson's Mettle" with Laurence Howard (about Douglas Mawson who led an expedition in Antartica in 1911) and "Sexy Nurd" with auGi (who performs a couple of songs from his show.)

Dmae Roberts talks with Trisha Mead, director of Fertile Ground, a 10-day festival of new performing arts works in Portland. During January 22 through February 2nd. Fertile Ground features more than a dozen world premieres with well over 50 artists. Also featured on Stage and Studio are Portland Story Theatre's "Mawson's Mettle" with Laurence Howard (about Douglas Mawson who led an expedition in Antartica in 1911) and "Sexy Nurd" with auGi (who performs a couple of songs from his show.)

James Cameron's new blockbuster movie Avatar has been widely debated: what is it really saying about people with disabilities, the environment, racism, colonialism, and other important social questions? Our Movie Moles Frann Michel and Denise Morris have a rousing good time taking down the pretensions of this huge movie phenomenon. Their blog has lots of quotes from and citations of the ongoing discussion of the film.

The movie is set in 2154 on Pandora, the Earth-like moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri system, where the RDA Corporation is mining for the incredibly valuable mineral Unobtanium, and employs former marines as security. The local population includes the big blue Na'vi, who are in tune with all the life on their planet, venerate the mother goddess Eywa, and dress in a pastiche of scanty Native American and African tribal styles.

NEW YEARS DAY SPECIAL. - The Man With the Twisted Lip by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

One night in June, 1889, Doctor Watson is called away from his home on a strange errand of mercy, which takes him to a sinister opium den located near the docks in London's East End. Where, to his astonishment, he finds disguised as an aged drug addict none other than Sherlock Holmes! Who promtly asks his old friend to accompany him on one of the most baffling cases he has ever come across. This story was among Conan Doyles's first 12 mystery short stories to appear in the Strand Magazine in 1889, and the1890 collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.